"The hell are you doing here?" Alex demanded.

In horror Lorna watched as light started to gather on his chest plate.

"Alex?" asked Lorna, her smile sliding, "Alex, what are you-?"

Not listening Alex sent a blast at Erik. Mystique and Erik both jumped different ways, allowing the blast to hit the wall behind them. A hole appeared there, smoking. She saw light start to gather on his chestplate again and jerked him to the side making the next blast go into the ceiling.

"I know you're upset about me leaving but you can't do this!" she pleaded.

"Move!" he said, pushing her up the staircase, "The Professor should-"

He was suddenly flung to the side. Her father stood across from him, his arm stretched out and holding him at bay. Alex glared at him with hate in his eyes.

"Daddy, he's not usually like this," Lorna said, trying to keep her tone calm although she was close to panicking, "You have to understand that, I don't know why he's doing this. If we could just calm down and you could-"

"You think that can stop me?" Alex demanded, "We've learned a few things since last time."

Despite being pinned Alex let out another blast. Erik dropped him and Lorna ducked. As she did so she heard footsteps clambering downstairs.

"Lorna, I heard the explosion. What the hell's going on?" Sean asked, reaching her side.

"I don't know," she said, "Alex just…I don't know!"

Sean started looking around.

"The way I see it-ah!" Sean said, ending his sentence in a scream.

Lorna clapped her hands over her ears. So did everyone in the room, Mystique going to her knees.

"Look, stop," she said, her voice sounding weak and far away, "You have to stop this…all of you…"

Her father got to his feet and threw Alex into Sean, tossing back up the stairs. She watched them hurtle towards the wall and threw her hand out. It was harder than she thought to stop them, her whole arm trembling with the effort. However, they both stopped before they hit the wall.

They got back up and started charging down the stairs again. Her father helped Mystique up and put his hand out.

"Please," she started, crying now and wishing that everything would just stop.

Then, suddenly, it did just that. Sean and Alex stopped in mid-leap. Erik's eyes widened but he didn't move. Even Mystique was frozen in place. The whole room looked like a still picture through her teary eyes. She turned her head, wondering if perhaps this was a dream and she was waking up.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't blast apart my school," Charles said, his voice furious as he pushed his chair into the room, "You knew better Erik. You knew better. I'm letting you all go now, but only if you stop fighting. Is that understood?"

Lorna didn't hear anyone answer but the Professor gave a sharp nod.

"Good," he said.

Sean and Alex dropped to the floor. Erik's hand fell limply to his side and he glared at Charles.

"You said you wouldn't Charles," he said, his voice threatening, "I left my helmet because you said you wouldn't."

"Yes, I did. But you were trying to hurt my students. I have a duty to protect them," Charles said coldly, "I am a professor."

"They attacked him first," accused Mystique.

"I'm well aware of that Raven," Charles said, "But, as you know, I have certain expectations of people. I expect the children to act like children, albeit with more sense and tact, and the adults to act like adults."

"We're adults," Alex hissed.

"In the eyes of the law, yes you are," said Charles, "But right now you've become children again."

On the floor Alex and Sean got to their feet. Charles glared at them.

"What do you think I'd do when I saw him in here?" Alex snapped, "What do you think any of us would have done?"

"Act like a human being perhaps? Was this too much to ask? Really Alex, give me some credit. Do you think he would have gotten in if not for my invitation?" Charles asked, "I thought that I'd taught you better than to leap before you looked."

Alex looked over in the corner angrily, folding his arms over his chest. Sean just looked embarrassed. With a sigh Charles rolled over to Lorna.

"I would have spared you this if I could," he said, "I thought if you were leaving then we would all have a talk tonight and tell the rest. I'm sorry that it happened in this fashion."

Shakily she looked around the rest of the room.

"Tell everyone what?" choked Lorna, "What just happened?"

Charles frowned. Sympathy was replaced with shocked disbelief before a wave of anger came. Jerking his wheelchair around he directed the gaze at Erik.

"You told her, didn't you?"

Erik didn't say anything.

"You told me you told her," Charles said, "but it looks like she didn't understand. So tell me Erik, did you tell her?"

"Tell me what?" asked Lorna, pulling herself to her feet, "What don't I know?"

"It's nothing, Lorna," Erik said.

Charles glared at him.

"It's more than that. You said you'd tell her. I thought it would be better if she heard it from her father," said Charles, "I thought it would be easier that way. Apparently I was wrong because that way it wouldn't happen at all."

"Wait, that's your father?" Sean said, his mouth open, "The long lost one? Your father? Him?"

Something was definitely wrong. All of them knew something that she didn't. Her hands twisted helplessly.

"Yes," said Lorna, "What about it?"

"Now is not the time-" Erik started.

"You didn't know your father was Magneto?" Alex said, "He didn't tell you? Because I'd say that that's pretty damn important."

Her heart stopped, stuttering unevenly in its normal rhythm. In the deepest recesses of her mind she knew that name. That was the name of the leader of the Brotherhood, the one who was in control of everyone she had ever fought. While she had been told only the basics, she knew that much. Lorna laughed shakily and shook her head.

"This is all a really good joke," she said, "A really good joke. You've all done a great job acting, okay? But now it's over and it isn't funny anymore."

She grinned the grin of someone who was trying to deny that everything around her was happening. Everyone stared at her like she'd gone insane. She certainly felt like she had.

"It's not funny anymore," she said, "Dad, stop. Alex and Sean, they like their jokes and I don't know what's gotten into the Professor. He doesn't do these things but I'm sure something happened, they talked him into it somehow. But you wouldn't lie to me like this. I know it. So just say that you did it as a joke and end it. I won't hold it against anyone."

He didn't say anything, just stared at her helplessly.

"Dad?" she whispered.

Slowly she brought her hands up to her temples. She looked at them all. Their expressions ranged from shock to pity. Erik stood looking at her with regret.

"No," Lorna said softly.

All around her metal objects began to rattle and shake. She shut her eyes, the hands at her temples becoming fists.

"Lorna, calm your mind," Charles cautioned.

The rattling became louder.

"No," she repeated, "No…no…"

No matter how troubled and upset she had become in the past she'd never even had a nightmare as bad as this was turning out. Metal crunched inwards alll around her.

"Lorna," Erik said, reaching for her.

"NO!" she screamed.

She opened her eyes and jerked herself away from him. Her hair whipped around her, engulfing her in green. Removing her hands she ran for the front door. The hinges were metal and they swung away from her, wood breaking in the process. Once she was outside she continued running as fast as she could.

"Lorna!" Erik yelled.

"Lorna!" called Alex.

Lorna, Charles whispered in her mind.

"Leave me alone," she cried to herself, still running, "Please, just leave me alone…please don't catch me…please…"

For a second there was silence. Then she heard a whisper in her mind;

As you wish.

She continued running then, not knowing where she was going but grateful to be alone. Lorna hit the tree line soon and branches whipped at her legs and arms. They stung and hurt, but not as much as her chest hurt. After a few minutes she tripped over a branch and crumbled to the ground. She stayed there, still crying.